Hi,
I am brazilian, 29yo and had around 6 weeks to prepare for the GMAT FE to try to apply for round 3 in multiple schools (targetting mainly HEC and INSEAD). I had
Manhattan books from a family member (6th edition) and finished them in 2 weeks approximatedly. I used the rest of my time practicing with GMATCLUB questions.
First official mock (diagnostic purposes): 485 (77DI, 64QR, 81VR) *3rd QR percentile being an actuary, shame on me*
Second (1 month later): 595 (78DI 78QR 83VR)
Third (1 week after second): 565 (77DI 75QR 82VR)
Fourth (2 days after third): 575 (79DI 78QR 78VR)
I was really surprised to have math issues coming from a math heavy background, so I decided to have 5 sessions with a private math tutor. He really helped me with strategies, doing quick divisions in my head, easy ways to solve tricky questions, etc. However, I had this bad feeling that I was missing silly questions constantly and needed extra practice.
I then got a 535 on the actual GMAT (77DI, 74QR, 79VR) 2 days ago. I got devastated, but here are my takeaways:
-My accuracy was similar to mocks, but I got more easy questions wrong and that dropped my score.
-I'm still struggling with time in every section (got better QR speed only on my last mock, but a bit less accurate).
-My math percentile is horrible - on my best mock test I got 52nd percentile, and repeated that performance on my 4th mock.
What do you suggest I do now, aiming for the next INSEAD and HEC rounds (early august)? I have limited budget to invest in many more resources and a LOT of free time (sick leave).